Mechanism for attaching counters in voting-machines.



No. 878,825. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

. C. G. ABBOTT. MECHANISM FOR ATTAOHING COUNTERS IN VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

Witnesses 4 bar with counters locked in independent counter.

from the machine for resetting,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPH VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application iiled May 20,1907. Serial No. 374607.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. ABBo'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachu:

setts, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Attaching Counters in Voting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive means for detachably securing the counters in voting machines.

It is, of course, Well understood that ordinary voting machines are provided with several hundred voting members, and that each voting member has cooperating therewith an It is very rarely, however, that near all of the voting members are used at any election; consequently many of the counters which are an important item of expense are always outof use.

My present invention renders it unnecessary to provide the machine with a full set of counters corresponding with the voting members, as it is made convenient to attach and detach the counters at will sothat they'may be easily changed from one line or column to another, and all that are not required for use in an election may be removed from the machine. I

My present invention furthermore provides a strong and inexpensive means for attaching the counters in place, which does away. withthe attaching means heretofore formed upon counters, does away with the use of screws or rivets and reduces the liability of breakage to the minimum.

I furthermore provide that the counters used at an election may be readily removed which renders the resetting of used counters a very much sim ler proceeding than heretofore.

With t ese and other. objects in view I have-devised the novel mode of attaching counters in voting machines which I will now describe, referring. to' the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts:

Figure 1 is a plan .view artly broken away, illustrating a portion 0 my novel counter place therein; Fig. 2 an elevation corresponding therewith,

showing the mode of locking the counters in the counter bar; Fig. 3 a similar view, the

locking slide being in the unlocking position and all but one of the counters removed; and

Fig. 4 is a section of the counter bar and locking slide on the-line 4-4 in Fig. 3, a counter appearing in elevation;

A denotes the counter bar as a whole. This bar is formed from sheet metal and com-- prises a base, indicated by 10, upon which the counters rest, a backing portion indi' cated by 11, a top portion indicated by 12 and a flange 13 depending from the base.

B denotes the counters which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction. The only essential feature of the counters is that one side of the case, the upper side as shown in the drawing, is provided with a rib 14, these ribs being adapted to engage corresponding slots 15in top portion 12 of the counter bar In practice I have shown parts of top portion 12 as cut away, as at 16, for the purpose of lightness.

This cutting away of the top portion, however, is Wholly unimportant so far as the principle of the invention is concerned. I have also shown hubs 17 upon the upper side of the counters,

said hubs extending slightly above the rib and serving as an upper bearing for the countershafts 18.

'As the construction and operation of the counters is wholly unimportant so far as the principle of the present invention is concerned, I shall omit all description thereof. It is suilicient for the purposes of this specification to state that the counters may be operated in any ordinary or preferred manner, the present invention relating solely to the mode of attaching the counters in place.

' '19 denotes a locking slide which is shown as doubled. about flange 13 and as secured'in place by rivets 20 passing through the tWo plates of the locking slide and through slots 21 in the flange. The upper ed e of the locking slide is provided with 100 ing projections 22 which extend above .the. plane of the base and when placed in front of the counters retainthem securely in place. In Fig. 2, the locking slide is shown in'the lockmg in the unlocking position so that counters may be removed or replaced at The engagement of rivets 20 with ,the ends of slots 21 in the flange acts to limit the movement of the locking slide eteither the lockposition and retaining a series of counte'rs 1n place, and in Fig. 3 said shde 1s shown ing or unlocking position. When in the locking position the locking slide may be retained there by any simple and convenient device, as, for example, a cotter pin 23 which may be passed through holes 24 in flange 13' and in the plates of the locking slide, said holes being in alinement when the locking slide is in the locking position, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

in all lines that are to be used, unless already provided withcounters, are moved to the unlocking position,.as in Fig. 3, and counters corresponding with .allthe voting members in that line that are to be used are slid into place in the manner described, the ribs 14 upon the counters engaging. slots 15 in the top portion of the counter bar. Should the lines be already provided with counters and and store date that is being-voted for.

' 2,3, 4, etc.

shouldv there been excess over the number of voting members to be used in an election, the su erfluous counters may be removed (p aced elsewhere in the machine or Having placed the requisite number of counters in a line, the locking slide is moved-to, the locking positionas in Fig. 2,

and locked there by the cotter pin or in any claim:

1. The combination with a counter having a rib, of a counter. bar *com rising a base, a backing portion, a'to portion having a slot toreceive the rib on t e counter and a flange For'use at an electionthe locking slides to retain t e counters in place an depending from the base and a locking slide secured to the flange and having locking projections extending above the lane of the base to secure the counters in t e bar.

' 2. The combination with a counter bar adapted to support counters and having a flange and a top portion provided with slots, of a lurality of counters having ribs engaging t e slots, a locking slide secured to the flange and having pro ections to secure the counters in place and means for locking the com rising a base, a backing portion, a top portion provided with slots 15, and a flange depending fromthe base and provided with slots 21, .of a plurality of counters provided with ribs adapted to engage the slots in the bar and a locking slide doubled about the flange and rovided with looking pro'ections rivets passing through the plates of the locking slide and through the slots in the flange which limit the movement of the slide 111 both directions.

5. The sheet metal counter bar A comprising ,a base, a backing portion, a top portion provided with slots and a flange dependin from the base. I

n testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT.

. Witnesses:

.Gno. O. B. HAWLEY, CHARLES H.'PITNEY rovided with ribs adapted to enga e 

